Potato hoe attachment for tractors



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Aug. v3, 1943. H. P. SMiTHy POTATO HOE ATTACHMENII FOR TRACTORS FiledMay 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inh/Erwan um WM Hmm MB.. Av. @E

Patented Angl 1943.

f national Harvester y ments'for tractors and more particulatlyito the-p' inventiomrelates tou-potato' lioeettac-:hf

for 'nicninting` thev attachment on 'the` Company, aj corporation' ofconnected tothe supporting structure ordinarily used for theconnectingjof cultivator rigstotlie'jgj forward portion oi the tractor,

An, is another object-M the 'intendente provide.

-fjiend ofthe tractor..' It .is' another object of the invention toprovide '10 I iik-a one-man potato hoe attachment adaptedior t.j-connectionto thei'orwardportionof the'tractor,

wherein the same may bei steered bv the forwardf connecting means'structures.

ward portion of the tractor, wherein the potato hoe structures will-be'maintained in theirlaterally spaced relationwith respect to thetractor.,

hoef 4structures 'with .respect to withrespect to each other,

'together to a transport 'positiom The'potato hoe st abumng'nnx; Thepotato nee structure at the `vtnepotato noe structure connected. withthe :According to the present invention, the' potato hoe st ructureshavebeen designed tosbeadapted' -forconnection to the rorward'transverse=sup' porting structures which are used forconnectingthe-tractorand the cultivatingjrigs vandr arranged' so. that the opposedhoeinmblauiesY will. A belongitudmauy; aimed with the y"respectivecolti- -1A vatingrigs; Titel-lifting' meansfor liftingv the-'cultivating-rigsserves as means for-theliftingoi' 1 the potato 'hoe'attaenfilent,l andthey aremovable attachments are-'located at each sideof thelongitudinaily'extending body portion of-the tractor; vonnected-between one of the potato hoe struc'-- tures and the tractor isavertically 'swingable pposite'side of the `tractor ,is connected with`tractor by means of the swingable link by a connecting means.- T'Ihisconnecting means betweenthetwo poiatofv structures is adjustablefand.the I ""swinga'ble linkbetween the tractor and the yone fand further toprovide anadiustable means'in v the'stabilizing means for positioningthe potato- 'the'tractor and' 1 retener' meer and' of A battiindringend."

ing of the invention, lreference may be had to the iollowinggdetaileddescription taken in coniunction with the accompanying drawingsinwhichr-It-issu object-ox tnefinvemmn reprenne a.'

' Figure lis a plan view o! the tactorand of with one oftherear wheelsremoved and ofthe '-cultivating-and potato hoe attachments;

Figure 3 isan enlarged-"detail perspective viewv v of the connectingmeans between the tractor and onen! the attachments and `betweenone ofthe rstructures and between thetwo structures; and, Figure'4 is adetailview taken on the line M of 'Figure 2 and showing the connection of theWith'one of :the potato hoe Referring'nowto the'hgures; ther-eis yshownzatractor il having -a `longitudinally extending portion il. havingconnected at its forward; r end. a steerablewheei structure'V l2,Extending transversely o! the rearward end oi the-'body j portion'is a'transverse rear axle structure 'or portion' I3, through which extend theaxles" for drivingthe tractor drive wieels I 5. 0n this rear axle'structure'iiis `located an' operators station t' 16. from which theoperator controlsthesteerable wheel. structure |21 by a'nianual'steering mecha-- -nlsm I1. Projecting laterally from each side of the.tractor-'at its-forward end are thetra'nsverse tool-supportingstructures I8 and i9 located re- :specti'vely at, theright-hand andleft-handsides 'oi lthe tractor@ 'lhese structures are properly bracedagain'strearward movement by means of tie rods 2li. Ce'nnected inlaterally spaced relation to the structure IB isv a pair of cultivatingpotatofstructurecan be adjusted by. inserting. the end in any of-aplurality of holes von the po t:

- tato hoe structure.

being .connected to the forward portion or the tractor, are Vtherebyadapted to be controlled by The potato hoe structures-f Athe forwardsteerable portion of the tractor. 4This i makes'possible the operationof a two-row potato hoe attachment by a single operator on the tractor.

rigs 2| having. cultivating'tools 22. These rigs are spaced sumcientlyto properly cultivate on opposite sides of apla'ntrow, the plantspassing between the same as' the tractor proceeds across theeld.. On the4le!t hand side of the'tractor are similarly .arranged cultivating rigs23 having :cultivating tools 2|. Adapted `'to be connected to the'transverse toolsupporting structures i8 and` i9', between theconnection of therespective rigs, are the potato hoe structures 25 and26.' Each of these potato hoev structures includes a `rearwardlyextending central beam 21 having' near its rearward end a 'transversemember 28 rigidly retained in its p transverse position by forwardlyextending bridge members 29 and 30. `On the outer ends of the transversemember and arranged in opposed relation with one another are the hoeblades 3| and 32. These blades are so spaced and alined with thecultivating rigsill that the loose dirt stirred up by the cultivatingrigs will be collected thereby and hilled `up. onto the plant row.- Thehoe structures 25 and 28 are Vrespectively connected to the supportingstructures I8 and I8 for vertif cal pivotal movement.as indicated at 33.

to the tractor by means of a Avertically swinx- "l able stabilizing link8l. The upper end oi the As a means for lifting the cultivator rigs,there i is usually provided a fore and aft pivotal lever 34 pivoted tothe transverse structure, as indicated at'35.. To the free .end of thelever 34 ls connected a i'ore and aft movable lift 'pipe 36 which issupported at its rearward end by a second fore vand att movable lever3rpivoted on the rearaxle structure oir the tractor, as indicated at 38.Connected to thepipe 36 is a iluid cylinder def vice 39 adapted to reactagainst a manual adjusting mechanism having a hand lever 4l.-V Thesecylinder devices 38 are of the single-actlink 6l is connected by meansof a. bracket 62 lrigidly. connected to the under portion oi the tractorby means of bolts 63. 'I'he lower end is connected with the' plate 58 byinsertion of the same into any one ofthe holes 5 9. By placing the lowerend of the link 6| in any one of the holes 58, it is possible tolaterally adjust the potato hoe structure with respect to the tractor.

As that potato structure moves vertically while' in working operation,it will always be retained in laterally spaced relation Vwith respect tothe tractor by means of the swingable link 8|. v

The .central beam 21 of the potato structure 25 at the right side of thetractor also has connected to its rearward-end a similar plate 64,

- which has an opening .similar to the opening 80 lng type. They aremaintained in their collapsed position by an overcenterspring means 42'.When itis desired to change the working depth of the cultivatingtools,the lever 4| is operated over its quadrant 43 to -bodily move thecylinder de-v 39 are connected by the hose connections 441:0 receivelfluid from a uid housing and pump supply 45 mounted partially within'thebody por- 'tion vH of the tractor. y The 'operation o! this uid supplyis controlled by a rearwardly extendingv control rod 46 accessible tothe operators l station I6 on the rear axle structure of the tracl tor.The forward end of the lift pipes .,36 are connected by means of liftrods 41 with the re' spective cultivating rigs 2|.. When the cylinderdevice 33 is operated and the lift rod 36 is moved forwardly, a collar48 on vthe upper end ofthe lift rod 41 will engage a flange 49 carriedby thelift pipe.` Upon continued forward movement of the lift pipe 36.the rod 41 will carry with it the culftivating rig 2|.

The potato hoe structure 25 is similarly con- A nected to the lift pipe38 by means oi' a litt rod- 5B and, as indicated at 5I, to' thetransverse member 28 thereof. The lift pipe 36 has also a flange 52adapted to engage a collar 53 as the lift pipe 36 moves forwardly.Pressure springs 53' and 54 are 'respectively provided on the-liftingrods 41 and for holding the cultivating rigs and the pO-'ftato hoestructurein their ground-working posivice and the' lift pipe'86. Thecylinder devices inthe plate 68 in alinement with the hollow 1chamber-of the central beam, but does not have a'. set of adjustableholes. The beam structure 26,

instead o! being stabilized directly from the tractor, is stabilizedvand vretained in its laterally spaced relation by. connecting means 65extending between the two beam structures 25 and 26.

This connecting means 65 extends laterally unrspective ends a forwardlyextending pin 66 (see Figure 4). -This pin 66 has-a transverse retainingportion 61. When the connecting means is assembled. tothel ends-ofthecentral beams, the same will be manipulated so that the pin means 66can be seatedwithin the openings, such as at 60, in the plates 58 and64.' By the retaining portion |31,V the connecting means will thereby beheld against rearward displacement from the ends of the beams. f

Theconnecting means includes a pair ofl overlapping pieces 68 and 69,each of which,'re spectively, has holes 18 and 1|. the connecting meansmay thus he determined by the alinement of the holes 18 and 1I throughwhich extends clamping bolts 12. By this means tions. Itshould now beapparent that the: means for lifting the cultivating rigs can be usedfor' lifting o'thepotatolhoe structuresince the po tato hoe structure-is located andconnected in@V close proximity to theA cultivating rigs.By this:

l lifting means both of the cultivating rigs and the potatohoestructures are simultaneously raised to the transport positionon thetractor.

the above description has .been made moreparticularly with referenceto--a single arrangement' of cultivating rigs and potato hoe structureat one l. side of the tractor, it will beapparen't-.that thefdescription may be readily applied to the similar"- ,arrangement-oicultivating rigs and'potatohoez Each central beam is ofhollowconstruction,` as

structuresv at the' opposite sideof the tractor.

bestfshown; in Figure 4,`and on the rearward ends f of lthe beam thereiswelded', as indicated 'fat 51.1. a plate 58 closing'the open end of thebeam. This plate 58 Vh'as'at its upper end three transversely alinedholes 59, and at its lower end. in alinement with the opening inthe'hollow opening in thev central tool beam, an opening. 60.' Thisplate serves as a means for connection of the tool beam for thestructure 21 at the left side of the tractor the connecting means isshortened or lengthened, and the lateral positioning of one holestructure with respect to the other can be thereby varied.

It should thus be lapparent that', since the two potato hoe structuresare connected together', Y they are aunit. f It should laterallystabilized from theV tractor as can bec'ontrolledby an operator on thetractor,- that the lifting means for the cultivating attachments :may beused for the. lifting of the potato hoe structure, and that the potatohoe structures are laterallystabilized with respect to each other by theinterconnection ofthe two by means oi aconriecting means under theltractor, and,v by vva. single vertically swingable link connecting onevof thestructures with the tractor, both potato r hoe structures can bestabilized with respect to the tractores a unit., j

Whilevarious changes may. be made inthe. detail construction of thevpresent arrangement,V it shall be understood that such changes shall beIwithin the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in theappended claims.

The length of 3 structures on bothsides of tbetractor-includinz 'atransversely extending connecting Vmeans, be-f tween, the potato hoestructures-end vertically.

Whatisclaimedis: 1. In combination, atractcr having a longiing bodyportion and at the forward part thereof,

-a'pairof laterally s pacedcultivating rigs conneoted to each transversestructure for vertical`v movement, a potato 'hoe structure lncluding'alongitudinally extending beam .and opposedhoeing blades carried'by thebeam and ,arranged to hill the dirt loosened by the respectivecultivating Y' rigs, saidA structures being respectively connected `tothe transverse structures for vertical movementwith respect theretofthearrangement of; both 'therigs and the hoe structurebeing as to be"located ahead-ot therear axle portion and. forwardly visible fromthe'cperators station,

vment, a .potato hoe structure including a-longit'udinally extendingbeam and' opposed boeing.

bladescarried by-tne'beamand arranged to hill the.cllri', y loosened bythe respective cultivating 5 rigs, said structures being respectivelyconnected to the transverse structureior vertical movement with respectthereto. thearrangement ot both the rigs and the hoe Structurefbelngsuch as'tc be located aheadfof the'jrear axle portion and id forwardlyvisible from the. operators station, Y. means for laterallystabiliiting` the potato hoe 1 structures with respect to the'tractcr,means for lifting the cultivating riga'and means for'connectlngthe'potato hoe structure with the lifting tl5 means'. forthecultivating rigs, 'whereby tl'le potato'structures .wm te une@ by the ummam for the cultivating rige,M

means `for' lateralhr. stabilizing thev potato' lhoe` adversely-extendingrearaxl'e structure, a transverse swingable link memberextending'betweenoneof the potato hoe structures andV the tractor, and`meanslfor lifting' the 'cultivating rigsan'dthcjj potato hoe structuresto a transport position` 2. In combination. a tractor having alongi-:vi' tudinally extending body portion and atrans-.f Verse Teal?8x12 portion with an cperatrs Stimm.; -Sitor lifting 'fthecultivatingrigsflncluding a lore' thereon, a transversestructure..extending{later-gv ally from each side of tbe longitudinally extend-.lfing body-portion at the forward part tl'lei:eolt,a -y pair of laterallyspaced cultivating riss connected to'eaeh transverse stmctureiorvertical move-g v tool-supporting structureconnected tothe longi- A.tndinally extending body portionjorwardly of the rear axlestruoturefalpairoff laterally spaced cultivating rigs connectedtothe'transverse struc- '2 5 ture for 4vertical movement withrespectthereto,

la 'potato .hoestructurehaving a'central beam and opposed-lioeingfblades carried thereon. said porting structure for; verticalmovemcnt, means and ait'anovable litzpiizieg4 ineens fori-connectinetheihoe` structureto the lift pipes, whereby the hoe structure willbesimulta'menus;y mtedwith 35 Ollltvating rigs, Y

g3. In combinationg-a-'tractor-'lialvinia*lcneif vtudlna'lly extendingportion andea transstructure connected. to the` transverse'toclfsupf

